The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has refuted claims that over 600 Nigerian pilgrims stayed behind illegally in Saudi Arabia after completing the lesser Hajj.
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, had sparked concern by tweeting on his official X account on Saturday, suggesting that these pilgrims had refused to return, which could lead Saudi authorities to tighten visa regulations.
“Over 600 Nigerians who travelled to Saudia for lesser Hajj refused to return and this will compel the Saudi authorities to tighten their visa rules. Many of those who want to travel will likely be tossed,” Sani wrote.
However, NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Fatima Usara, firmly denied the allegation, stating that there was no evidence to support such a claim from either Saudi or Nigerian authorities.
“We do not have such correspondence or information from Saudi Arabia, neither did we receive such information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Immigration Services of both countries,” Usara explained to The PUNCH correspondent.
This claim from Senator Sani follows shortly after President Bola Tinubu dismissed the former Chairman of the Hajj Commission, Jalal Arabi, amid allegations of mismanagement and the diversion of ₦90 billion in Hajj subsidy funds.
A total of 51,477 Nigerian pilgrims participated in the recently concluded Hajj pilgrimage in Jeddah and Mina, each paying ₦6.9 million for the religious exercise.
The 2024 Hajj exercise commenced with the inaugural flight from Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Kebbi, carrying 422 pilgrims on May 15, 2024. The final return flight, with 286 pilgrims, landed in Ilorin, Kwara State, on July 16, 2024.
Senator Sani’s claim would suggest that the alleged 600 pilgrims have remained in Saudi Arabia for approximately six weeks since the conclusion of the pilgrimage.
